A Living Metaphor
by bloodjen
Summary: Visibly she's human, however her mind and instincts differ greatly from her appearance. Raised amongst the locust Sera finally surfaces after spending her life since infant-hood under Queen Myrrah's care and training. T for safety, I do not own gears of war just Sera. Starts just after the ship crashes at the start of the third game.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Living Metaphor**_

 **So this is a thing I thought up a while ago, in a similar way to Shadow for those who know it. It popped into my head and I played out all the scenarios and stuff in my mind whilst walking to school and such. Over active imaginations are useful sometimes XD This was just a interesting idea for me and I must say I'm surprised that so few (if any exactly) people have thought of such a possibility. I believe my idea originated from someone's story about Baird finding a baby locust (who he calls Chip) and taking care of him throughout the war with the aid of Sam. I hope my idea is just as intriguing to others as it is to me and I also hope I'll do it justice. If anyone does decide to steal bits or add scenes or anything feel free just ask first and make sure I'm credited. I'm not expecting that to happen but I'm allowed to be hopeful... Right? Reviews as said by every author ever are greatly appreciated just be constructive please don't worry to much about my feels I'm thick skinned so long as you're not being a dick for no reason. Anyway no ones likes a rambler so I'll go now and let you read XD I'll try to be more regular than I have with shadow with updates and on that note, toodle doo!**

Prologue

Death's putrid scent infected the air. Bodies of the fallen lay broken on the ground, the faint cries of those soon to join them echoing through the otherwise silent landscape. Several pairs of heavy boots walked their way through the wreckage, one growling orders at those in his group who hasn't died. The seven locust warriors whom survived out of the original ten grunted back, before spreading out to finish off the dying with sick pleasure.

The youngest of the foul group wandered the furthest through the wrecked town, not at all unnerved by the total devastation. He grinned to himself at their success. They had risen this day and made themselves known to the surface-dwellers, what his queen named humans, and they had killed thousands, if not millions of the weak and thin creatures who had wrongly claimed the surface which should be theirs.

He looked around him shooting one of their males who had awoken and started sobbing, pathetically. He grunted in distaste before continuing, reaching the outer edge of the town. The locust had made his way nearly around the whole perimeter before  
hearing the faint cries of something strange. Following the sound confusedly, he made his way to them reaching a half burnt down house.

Once the door was down he was in. The strange lights were still working, leaving the home lit up and easy to navigate through the destroyed furniture. The cries sounded again from underneath him. Uneasy the creature thought of abandoning his curiosities, until they resounded through again, louder and more desperate than before. He found a small hatch, broken by a fallen cupboard, and cleared a path to and through the small opening. Shrill cries started up again but this time didn't stop leaving the locust to cringe at the sharp sounds.

He found a small bundle of cloth on the ground. Flailing limbs escaped the bundle making the large creature approaching step bake, unsure about what it was. And then it clicked. He crouched next to it and roughly pulled away some of the blankets revealing a red-eyed, wet-faced and shocked human youngling. He growled at it pulling out his Boltok and aiming it at its forehead when the small hands it owned reached out towards him, making a strange but happy sounding noise. It sounded like laughing but smaller. The pistol was lowered and sheathed and without thinking he picked up the strange creature still wrapped in the bundle and left the building.

The locust headed straight back to the tunnels uncaring of any punishments he'd receive for abandoning his post. He needed to know what to do with this thing. **Now.**

He reached Nexus and instead of curiosity induced determination his finally felt nervous. Not only had he ignored orders but he had brought a human youngling into the main city. He gulped and realised it was too late now, and instead placed on his soldier face asking one of the palace guards for immediate audience with the Queen. He received an odd look for the now sleeping human child in his arms but he ignored it. After several minutes he was granted his request and he soon stood before the Queen.

"Well? What was so urgent you needlessly abandoned your duties!" He flinched at the sharpness before placing the child on the ground.

"What is this? A child of our enemy! Why have you brought one of their young to me!" He took a breath avoiding eye contact with the Queen Myrrah, and finally answering.

"I found it and was unsure what to do with it. It could be useful in the future and killing a youngling seemed wrong if a use could be found." He made up the usefulness, hopefully if he was thought to be attempting to help his insolence would be looked over more.

" USEFUL! HOW IS A HUMAN BABE USEFUL!" Apparently not. He deigned not to reply seeing that it would probably get him a more painful punishment.

However after some thought her majesty calmed.

"Actually... Maybe the babe could be of use. Twist it's mind to be of ours.. Why the little one could infiltrate their ranks when she's old enough, stick a knife deep through their backs and they'd never know..." She smiled  
and laughed an awful, spine chilling laugh that'd haunt the minds of men had there been any there capable of knowing the evil behind it. Queen Myrrah strode up to, and picked up the sleeping child with a wolf-like smile on her face. Her voice dropped so quiet it could barely be heard in the quiet of the room. "Yes.. You shall be a great asset little one. You shall be like the planet. Human upon the surface but lying within your true self is and always shall be locust. The horde will need you. Those pathetic surface-dwelling humans will never see you truly till it's too late." The babes eyes opened revealing a grass green. "You are like our planet. Our planet, Sera. Hm.. If you are like our planet, why not be named after it."  
Her voice raised again. " Sera. Humanity's downfall has always come from within. Within _their_ planet, within _their_ hearts and now from within _their_ own people." Her smirk stayed on her face as  
she took away the child ignoring the shell-shocked drone.

15 Years later

A young woman stands on the ground panting. A hand is placed on her shoulder and she looks up. Queen Myrrah removes the hand and nods simply saying "It's time" before departing herself.

She walks away, chin raised high, fury infecting her young soul. The humans had released the damn as Jacinto sunk and flooded her home. She will kill them.

First she'd kill Delta.

They had discovered their plot of sinking the city, and so must've been the ones who made sure her home was destroyed. She clamped her jaw, refusing the tears she'd stopped shedding since her first few years alive.

Sera had one thought in her mind.

Revenge.

* * *

 **I'm going off the GoW wikitimeline for what's going on here. Sera is recently ayear old when brought to Myrrah so is 16 when Jacinto is sunk. I hope I've got Myrrahs evilness down alright but we don't see her for a while so it doesn't matter rn I guess. See ya next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, I'm back! Hopefully this is a bit more action-packed and enjoyable than our beginning chapter.**

I watch with the entire bridge watches as the ticker box goes over.

And tips.

And pours out every single ticker in there on top of the lambent leviathan's head. Then I, with the entire bridge, start running as far away as possible from it before it explodes. Without much success.

I grip the piece steel that used to be nicely hidden within a concrete shell and is now hanging limply and swaying out in the open. Some choice curse words are said. When I say some I mean a shit-tonne. I mean dangling like a fish on a hook has never been enjoyable but when you are watching an entire bridge of your people fall into writhing waters to an undeniable doom it puts you in a bad mood.

Looking at the other side of the destruction, I see my half of my targets in a similar situation. Except rather than dangling their gripping onto rips in the concrete road. They seem to be talking but before I can even try to guess what about my metal rod snaps under the weight of a container dropping me into the water below. I hear screams as the gears across from me join me in my decent to watery hell.

Regrets on not learning to swim enter my thoughts before I black out.

As I return to consciousness I flip myself over, ignoring the pains shooting up my leg, and cough up any water that decided my lungs were a good place to stop in. Groaning I look around. A marshy beach covered in water and sprinkled with a light coat of debris and smoke.

Lovely.

Coughing off to my right brings me out of my thoughts and I see the three men and single woman I had been tracking through this past day. Augustus Cole, Damon Baird, Clayton Carmine and Samantha Bryne. They were one-half of the group I was tracking for Queen Myrrah. The others were Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, Anya Stroud and Jace Stratton. Otherwise known as Delta Squad. The humans who flooded the tunnels the locust lived in. I may be a human by species but Gods, I hate them. They attacked the locust for no reason after refusing an entire species an escape from the immulsion/lambent threat, and then villainise them all when they, no we, retaliate.

It was hard at first; being human in such, a place but I soon made my place amongst the ranks respectable enough. I learnt as quickly as any of the others at everything except the language, but with the Queens help, I learnt enough to survive along with the main human language. I have always known I am meant to spy on humanity, but it was never needed until after Jacinto. Now I am out here.

Looking at the group nearby I force myself onto shaking legs. I must have hit the water feet first. They immediately group together and then start to leave with me preparing to trail them when Clayton spots me. I hold back the groan. Supposedly humans are meant to be thankful when a Gear intends helps them.

I stand still as he jogs forward with the others looking at us. I shift uncomfortable with being found as he approaches me.

"Hey, you okay?" His voice is surprisingly gentle compared to the war cries he was using earlier.

"Yeah. I'm fine..." I avoid eye contact. The helmets bug me; the bright blue makes my eyes burn with the light. Too used to caves I guess, I know the sun was almost unbearable at first. He takes it as shyness.

"Uh," He looks at his squad ignoring Damon's shaking head. "Do you wanna come with us?"

Ignoring Damon's groan I shift again. "Um, yeah I guess. Not sure where else I would go if I'm honest." I am not technically lying; the bridge blowing up was not really part of the plan. And I'm starting to wonder if id be able to get anywhere from here anyway the way my left leg seems to be playing up.

Cole yells up "Yo! I'm Cole! This bastard here is Baird and that's Sam. The guy you're talking to is Carmine. What's your name, little lady?" I force myself not to smack him.

"I'm Sera." He stares at me and then starts laughing. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"Uh, that's the planets name. You don't expect us to believe that's what you are actually called, do you?" Damon… Baird speaks up looking as pissed as I feel

"That's what I'm called, believe it or not." I step towards him forcing down the wince the movement encouraged.

"Well I don't believe it." He walks towards me.

"Sucks to be you then doesn't it" I'm only a little shorter than him so I raise my chin and stare him dead in the eye. Eventually Samantha breaks us up.

"Look ladies our squad is still out there, we need to get moving." Damon glares at me a little more before walking away. Clayton looks at me, shrugs in 'you get used to it' fashion, and follows along with Augustus and Samantha…. I need to get used to their preferred names. I follow as well making myself not limp but the worried look Augu- Cole sends me shows it's not hiding whatever happened to my leg.

They manage to get some guns and, running ahead, kill some of the locust who survived the bridge. I send them silent apologies.

We reach two bodies face down in the dirt. After turning over and forcing the water out their lungs they recover quickly and stand staring at their squad. Eventually who looks to be Marcus stares at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Who's this?" His gravelly voice is... Unsettling and a spike of hate rushes through me. If he wasn't alive, my home would still be fine. Cole gets in there before me or Damon.

"This little lady?" Starting to really hate that name. "She calls herself Sera. Uh Sera, meet Marcus and Dom. Marcus and Dom, meet Sera." They look at eachother obviously both thinking the question but its Dom, who asks,

"Sera?"

"Yeah that's what I've been called as long as I remember; I'm not keen on changing it now for the sake of you." I think of home, where no one questioned me and my annoyance grows. "Don't you have better things to be doing rather than questioning me?" Marcus' eyes flick up and down assessing me and resting on my left leg. I resist the urge to look down and follow his line of sight. I know it's bad but there isn't time to deal with it as far as I can tell. He looks away after a moment and shrugs walking off, calling for the rest of the squad.

One hour later, the entire squad is together and Chairman Prescott has just drowned in his own blood while his heart failed. I walk away trying to avoid looking at the dead who I should have been helping. Not killing. Finding an empty container, I sit down stiffly to finally look at my leg. Rolling around to avoid being shot hadn't helped at all.

Pulling up my trouser leg, I look at seeping gash running up from the side of calf to my knee and another in line with it running from my knee to halfway up my thigh under my leg. Thankfully it hasn't hit anything important and isn't too deep. However, it is still deep and still very much painful. With a sigh, I rip off the sleeves of my shirts and tear them into rough bandages.

Just before I start wrapping someone _ahem_ s at me from the entrance of the container. I look up and see Marcus who's staring at me in a way that makes it feel like my soul itself is being assessed. He turns and walks away before returning a moment later with Anya.

"Oh god, why didn't you say! I'll be right back with bandages." She jogs off and I look at Marcus in a state of shock.

"W-what?" Why is she getting bandages? I've already made some, there's no point using hers. And why would she want to? Humans don't care that much… right? No. It's only been a few hours. They are not pulling me in.

Marcus however has already noticed my confusion. "You're hurt. She knows what to do to make it as better as she can, so she will. You may be new but being as you're joining us apparently, you need to be in top health. We get into situations unlike anyone else I know." He walks away as Anya gets back with some wipes and bandages leaving me confused. Myrrah never said humans could care, surely she would have said? It's just because they don't want a weak link. That is it.

Even in my head, it sounds pathetic.

 **So not really as good as I hoped but hey there'll be actual fighting next time, I was just aware it was getting a bit long and fighting a mini-army as they do in the games would've taken too long and I wanted to get onto the leg thing. It was unplanned and won't take up this much room in a chapter again for a while. I hope you enjoyed and see you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! Had a week half-term holiday so I haven't been in school which is where I'm writing this so sorry about that but hey HALLOWEEN. Is over… ah well I'm actually going to write some action this time and please bear in mind I've not played gears 3 in a while and I don't have easy access to the game currently so dialogue, events and such will be different. Sorry but I'm not quite dedicated enough to learn the entirety of the game off by heart via wikis being as I can't play properly.**

 **Anyway! Hope you like it.**

After a few more fights and the Queen making an entrance Delta finally split up to go about getting to Anvil Gate in different ways. I'm going with Marcus, Dom, Baird and Cole to grab a "gas barge" as they so politely called them. There's an official name but correcting them on a word that's only in the locust tongue might be hard to explain. Must say I'm slightly amazed that Baird actually knew to grab the box that contains the data for Anvil Gate. Well technically the nearest locust camp…... Not relevant.

We make our way across the Deadlands following the barge and after about a half hour of walking Marcus catches sight of the new tunnels. I shift imperceptivity worried about the outcome of Delta going through the tunnels. In the last two trips underground they killed dozens of my people and then got hold of plans that allowed them to kill thousands more and destroy the entirety of my home. Okay, not worried extremely tense and ready to shoot the fuckers. And _breathe_ … I may be ordered to kill these guys but doing it out in the open when they're all older, stronger and outnumber me 4 to 1 it'd just be plain suicide. I might kill one, two if I pull a trick shot and I need all, including those who took the other path, dead.

Dom manages to snipe the runners who sprinted for the bugles. However, we finally get spotted and caught going for the front gate. Shots ring out followed by the ground rumbling. 3 young corpsers all make an appearance but are quickly dispatched. I turn and find a gun in my face. Ducking, I tackle the drone sending us both to the ground. Grabbing my own gun (which I had holstered mere moments before) I aim and fire straight between his eyes. My throat swells with regret. So far I had managed to avoid dealing a death blow directly to my kin so this was really my first kill. I feel sick. Killing another of your kind is treason beneath the planet's surface. I walk away ignoring Delta's pitying looks.

Pity. I don't want a _human's_ pity. It takes a lot of self-control to stop myself from going berserk.

We enter the tunnels properly, Marcus and Dom lifting doors with ease and letting them fall, trapping us within the structure. Baird looks annoyed and he complains. Constantly.

"I mean, come on couldn't we have gone _above_ the locusts' new house? Rather than crawling through tunnels again. We flooded the locusts' old one before it's not like we can do it ag- "

"Just shut up! You moaning like a child is only going to increase your chances of being shot. Mostly by me!" I growl it out, cutting him off. Nexus was not just an "old house" it was home.

I hear him mutter " _jeez_ " beneath his breath while Cole just chuckles. Only Marcus notices the tension in my voice but any he may find on my face is hidden as more of my kin appear to protect what I should be helping to protect.

We get herded into a room with a ladder. I gulp, realising what's down there but the others just groan as if they're BORED and go down. I follow. After much hesitation. Corpsers don't really like me at the best of times. Going into a mother's nest is going to put me on every corpsers wanted list in existence.

If I've been taken off since I accidentally stumbled into one as a child and broke one of the baby's legs when I thought, it was going to eat me.

I sigh, relieved, when I realise they haven't hatched yet. We might be able to just get out without- Ah crap.

Baird makes another comment before they start killing the hatchlings. I shrink into the background. How can they just kill them? They've just entered the world.

More and more fall to Delta's bullets and the screeching finally awakens the mother beast. Unarmoured young enter the battle along with their massive rampaging mother. I dodge with a wince as a sharp leg stabs out of the ground. The mother sees and charges towards me, making me fall with the ground's vibrations and leaving me on the ground in front of her child. I close my eyes and pull the trigger, ignoring the screams of the mother indicating at least one of her eyes had been blinded. The young one screams as he dies. I scramble to my feet turning away from my crime before I open my eyes. This is so wrong. I look to Delta. They've knocked two eyes out apparently and as I watch Cole removes a 3rd. Dom throws me a worried glance but other than that I'm just another component of the battle to them.

It takes a lot to lower my gun that time.

We finally board the gas barge. I feel numb with anger, the amount of my own people I've had to kill almost throws me into a blood-rage. Berserkers live in blood-rages, constantly looking to murder and maim anything. That's how pissed I am. The others notice and leave me be, letting me remain on the barge when we pick up an old ally of Delta – Dizzy. Stupid name.

"Who's the little darlin' over there?" His voice grates on my nerves and I ignore him.

Baird answers. "Reckons her name is Sera, I ain't sure but silence is bliss in her case. She hates us you see." Cole looks at him with an eyebrow raised and then looks at my slumped form, sulking in the background.

Baird P.O.V

Cole looks at 'Sera'. I do too. Being honest she is pretty but she is one hell of a bitch. The few times she has spoken it's been an angry retort. And I've had enough.

"What's your problem?" She looks up angrily shocked at being talked to.

"What's yours?" I bite back the annoyed the groan.

"The fact we pick up your little arse, after almost dying ourselves might I add! to be followed by some little bitch who has told us nothing about who she is, where's she from or even a last fucking name! How's that for a problem?" By this point she's stood up and we're face-to-face glaring in a way that even Marcus would cringe under. "So _little lady_ , what's. Your. Problem?"

"MY problem is that I'm having to follow people who murder creatures who've just hatched. What kind of heartless bastards do that? I don't have a last name, I don't know where I'm originally from and I am me!" Suddenly there's pistol in my face and as I look at her face its twisted with anger.

Shit.

Marcus' hands suddenly snap out; One forces her arm up and the second grabs the gun tearing it from her grasp and throwing it overboard. She tries to elbow his face but he dodges grabbing her arm and forcing it behind her back. Slowly Marcus manages to force her to the floor and uses some bandages, curtesy of Dizzy, to bind her hands. Sera continues to struggle before realising and then she just looks… defeated. I resist the temptation to, literally, kick her while she's down. It wouldn't do to kick a lady.

Its Cole who breaks the silence. "What... the fuck was that?" She just sits there, her eyes closed. Eventually she replies "I just don't get what's going on anymore." Its sharp and again leaves more questions than answers. A common occurrence around this kid that's starting to _really_ piss me off.

"Well what was going on before?" Dom manages to gently answer before I get in. Damn.

"Not this. You guys were the evil ones and I keep seeing stuff that is kind of evil but then you act like a family and that… doesn't add up." Her brow furrows. "The people who raised me… they said the war was your fault, without you guys the locust would never have attacked." With a look we all confirm with the other she's telling a well thought-out truth that hid something without actually lying to us.

"We didn't even know the locust existed before E-Day. We may have done bad things to try and end the war but why would we start a war against a much larger species who were much more battle-ready and battle-thirsty than us. The pendulum wars hadn't been over all that long, we as a species hadn't really recovered from that. We lost so much… I don't know who told you that but we did not start this war." Dom leaves her to her thoughts.

Sera P.O.V

I'm shaking. No no no no no no no! This isn't right. I'm vaguely aware of the others leaving me to my thoughts but- ARGH. IU resist yelling out loud. They can't be right, BUT IT MAKES SENSE. Why would they start and obviously hopeless war? And we tried to sink their cities so why wouldn't they retaliate similarly. They gave us their last home in an attempt to survive. I try to punch the ground and then remember my bindings. That was stupid. I didn't have a gun now and being trusted to weild one again would take time I don't have… But then again do I really want to kill these people? They made sense. But why would Myrrah lie?

I almost think I've gone insane when her voice rings out through the air.

I don't register her words just her face. Her cold eyes.

My eyes ask the question _Are they telling the truth?_ Her face gives nothing but that's all I need.

 _Why didn't you tell me?_ Tears prick my eyes as I let my face echo my thoughts.

 _It's me or them._ She lied and she knew it. Now she asks me to choose. I never mattered to her. With an empty feeling I shake my head as I hide it between my knees.

She used me.

I was her stupid little pet human.

And it took almost betraying my entire kind to realise this.

Fire encompasses the barge and we go down. I find it hard to care. We hit the ground with a crash that somewhat resembles an earthquake.

My eyes are already closed when I hit the ground.

 **That went further than expected but I'm happy with it. Reviews are always loved! Next chapter will be out as soon as I can but I am doing A-Levels which is basically a harder version of college so don't be too expectant on it being too soon. Sorry but can't be helped.**

 **So what'd you think? Sera's entire world has just been turned upside down, how do you think she's going to react once the shock wears off. Should she tell Delta the truth? Feel free to suggest anything! I'll try and include any suggestions I can if I can.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Whoop whoop! Neeeext chapter is here! This is a bit of a filler because words need to happen, I will do the whole battle of anvil gate next chapter don't worry!**

Baird P.O.V

Groans echo out in the clearing we landed in. That was shit. Myrrah is back with a vengeance and we are GOD KNOWS how far away from Anvil Gate. Great. Just fucking fabulous. We've gotta walk in circles for fuck knows how long.

Marcus calls out to check we're all in one piece.

Legs? Check.

Arms? Check.

Face? Check.

Awesomely good looks? Better than ever.

I relay this back to him as the others do, sounding like we'd just crash landed in the middle of a forest.

Oh. Wait.

We did.

One voice is missing and its Cole who checks on Sera. He helps her stand as about half a dozen trucks come and shine lights straight into our eyes.

Thanks Colonel.

Marcus lets him know we aren't grubs or glowies. We don't look that bad do we? Surely I can't?

We all jump in a truck and head to Anvil Gate. Marcus starts explaining what the fuck is going on and I allow myself to relax. Who knew blowing up a bridge would end like this? Huh... I could've sworn I saw Sera on that bridge thinking back… Why wou-

"Yo, Baird come back to us man" Cole startles me out of my thoughts. Thanks 'Gus.

"What? Need a bomb or just to stare at this perfection." No wonder me and Cole had rumours going on about us. The dirty minds of recruits are always an interesting yet infuriating place to visit.

"Nah, just wanted to talk." He eyes flick towards Sera. She was staring out the window behind Cole at the back of the truck.

"I'm not joining a conversation that tries to involve her. Last time we spoke I got a pistol in my face." Cole takes the hint for once and shuffles over to her, sighing slightly. I feel kinda bad for the girl. Her folks must've been some stranded shits or something. But she looks like she was probably born near the start of the war, so unless she was in a camp for her life who would have told her that stuff. She doesn't look like a stranded. Cole will work it out.

I look away as the pair start talking and watch the forest go by, trying to work out what, or better yet _where_ , on Sera Azura is.

Cole P.O.V

I turn from Baird and head to Sera, seeing his _no way, fuck off now_ expression. Which means I'll be getting nowhere. I might be able to get the little lady to come around but there's no way I'll be able to work out what's going on with her. Ever since we told her we didn't start the war the poor girl has been dead to the world around her.

I sit next to her and place my hand her shoulder. My hand covers it almost entirely. For such a big personality she sure is small. ( **A/N she has grown up underground eating weird worm meat and berries her entire life** )

"Hey…" She doesn't even look. But then she speaks in small voice, unlike how she was before.

"I'm sorry about nearly shooting Baird." I smile and am saddened she isn't looking up to see it. In a way she's like my buddy, complete prick but knows when to stop. I wonder if she has the intelligence too. Maybe it's why I like her so much.

"It's okay, we've all done it at some point" Except me, but then again I've got thick skin that bounces straight back. She finally looks up though.

"I can't say I'm surprised… Its just- "she sighs "I've been told that a long time and I was going to…."

Sera P.O.V

"I was going to…." I trail off. Should I tell him? Tell some human I was going to kill him and his friends. But then... I'm human. And the locust aren't my kin apparently.

What's stopping me? They should know the truth.

But the words stick in my throat.

 _They will never trust you. Just like Myrrah never did._

Guess Myrrah was right about human emotions making you weak.

"I was going to do something stupid then just because of some lie." I guess it's not technically a lie. Cole smiles and tightens his grip on my shoulder for a moment before going back over to Baird. What was that about. I touch my shoulder in confusion.

We continue driving heading towards anvil gate. The most secure settlement the CoG has ever had. Survived a massive human vs human war apparently without ever being taken. Just like Nexus until… But then was Nexus ever my home like it is for these people? Or was it my prison without me even realising.

An avalanche of questions stream into my mind.

Who were my parents? Where are they? Are they dead? Who killed them? Do I have an actual human name? Do I have siblings? Where am I from?

Baird suddenly talks to the man driving. Uh... Colonel Hoffman? Something like that. He's been giving me odd looks but has been shocked by the Marcus' tale. Thinking back, it's been pretty crazy for me too. It was only a day or so ago I stood on that bridge aiming for Delta squad's heads. Now I'm in a truck and completely unsure of who I should be shooting at. With questions of my past I had never even considered before running through my brain.

My head hurts.

We climb out of the truck Baird, Marcus and the colonel still talking. As we enter I feel so wrong.

I shouldn't be here, aren't I traitor? To both species. I didn't have a choice yet here I am.

Its Marcus who comes up to me just before the mini-army of locusts get here.

"You wanna fight?" His gravelly voice runs through me and I feel like his eyes and scanning my soul. I wonder if he always has that effect. But still I answer, my old confidence returning fuelled by my anger at Myrrah's lies.

"Yes." She lied my entire life and broke the promise she made to me as a child.

" _Hey Queen Myrrah?"_

" _Yes Sera?"_

" _Do you promise it's the human's fault? I mean I'm good aren't I? Surely all of them can't be bad…"_

 _She picked me up in the only show of affection I ever received._

" _I promise you, Sera, you are the only decent human, I'm sorry but your species caused this war. It will take you to end it truly. Do you promise to trust me forever now?"_

" _Of course!"_

I smiled for the first time since I was a babe that day.

She will pay. For my innocence. For all the people she killed.

She wanted a weapon.

Well she has one. Aimed at her heart.

 **I know sera was acting a bit odd but her entire life was turned upside down. In the flashback Sera is around 8-9 years old. I hope the different P. were alright, I wasn't sure on Coles and I do apologise if he were out of character. In his eyes I think he sees Sera as some kind of little sister who needs protecting even though they haven't known eachother long. Next chapter the Battle of Anvil Gate!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oops it's been a while hasn't it :/ Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy this! I do realise that Marcus filled Hoffman in after the first fight but ya know casual skipping a stuff. Just pretend he told of the fighting and stuff last chap and he actually explains the full importance this time.**

Marcus leads us through the fortress towards the fighting where an angry battalion of locust are beginning their attack. I grab a lone hammerburst and strip it of its ammo. We reach the front gate and spread out Dom and a CoG soldier manning the turrets.

I take aim, and begin shooting, relieving me of my anger and them of their lives. I let instinct take over as the sounds of battle around me only increase. I'm vaguely aware of someone taking a longshot from next to me but before it can fully compute, I'm up again shooting the stream of attackers.

A grappling hook nearly spears my face and I quickly shoot it off, listening as the locust falls to his death.

Someone, probably Marcus, points out a siege beast and I set about shooting those around it in an attempt to get to the driver. A bullet grazes my arm and I duck down to reload again before hearing a woman calling out on a speaker that the gate is breached.

Most of the men on the front gate, including me, rush back to the second gate. I push off another hook, barely noticing the crunch as I put a bullet through a grinder's skull. It drops, and so does its gun. Right on top of a drone's foot causing it to collapse and I quickly dispatch of him as well.

It feels strange to be killing them. I was always meant to be the one who won the war. The final piece of the puzzle. The threat no one would see till it was too late and they were all dead.

Another fall at the same as another bullet grazes me. However, this time it hits my bandaged leg causing me to grimace and duck back into cover. I reload for the sake of it while my leg stops throbbing.

Damn thing had been through enough these past few days.

I go back over cover and take aim, shooting a brave drone through the eye. Its blood spatters unnoticed onto the Boomer behind it. I start shooting at the boomer but it ignores me and shoots at the gate. More come in, undeterred by the amount of deaths their side is taking and ignoring those who can still be saved, all just shooting at either the gate or the humans above them.

There's another explosion and im moving further back already before the voice tells us too. If they break through another gate "the final measure" is going to have to come into play.

I roll behind another cover as a grinder takes note of the bullets ripping into its flesh. The thudding of dozens of high-speed bullets hitting the steel I'm leant against vibrates through my entire back and I clench my teeth as I raise my gun above the cover and start blind firing. A bullet misses by hand by a hair but until it needs reloading I keep the gun there. The grinder's gun finally overheats and immediately I jump up and take proper aim, finishing the damn thing off. But not before the gate blows through and the beast throws me a final smug glare, filled with victory and hate.

Leaping down into the garage, I spot Delta, keeping together and killing everything in their path. As much as it pains me to admit it, they are impressive. They stick together as a group mostly but will buddy up off to deal with things separately, so if one goes down there is always someone to pick them back up. It triggers something down inside me and I recognise them for what they are.

 _Family._

Baird P.O.V

And another grub bites the dust.

Cole shakes his head as I hum the tune to myself slightly. I scan the area pretending I didn't notice, 'Gus'll remind me about it later for sure, I can hear Bernie setting up plans to set off their _emergency procedure_.

I spot Sera on the other side of the garage, taken up in her own fight, yet it seems each kill she makes is personal, rather than, ya know, just dealing with an army. It's strange, watching her fight them is eerie but I can't quite work out why, it's on the tip of my tongue but there to much- Eugh "Dammit Cole, there's blood in my hair!". Musing about strange angry women will get me no-where. Just ignore the little enigma.

Unless the stupid girl decides to get pinned beneath a grub.

Sera P.O.V

Struggling beneath a drone was never enjoyable. Especially not now when instead of just wrestling to improve my strength it's an actual fight for my life. That always put a damper on things.

As I use my hammerburst as a muzzle, shoving it in his mouth keep him off me and hopefully make his arms stop trying to grab his pistol. His hammerburst was somewhere off the right, where I kicked it when the bastard thought it'd be fun to pounce on me.

I look closely at said bastard and recognise something. A scar right down his face and I look closely at him and realise.

Oh by the locust gods I know this guy!

Drones don't usually have names but I dubbed this guy Tohrm (T-or-rm) as we grew up together. It had seemed right we both had names, he was practically my brother. I see his eyes widen and then narrow in recognition and betrayal. He growls and I growl back, trying to reach for my pistol, being as my main gun was preoccupied.

"Trraitorr..." It came out amongst the growls and I growl back, in the Locust tongue quietly, still trying to grab the gun.

"It was Myrrah who betrayed us, the humans never knew we existed until E-Day." Tohrm growled more, not believing me. I can't blame him.

Suddenly there's a blast closer to us and his brains spatter on the ground next us as he goes limp. I stiffen and draw my gun away from him. Looking up I see Baird staring at me with an unfathomable look in his eyes before he kicks the body off of me and grabs my arm, yanking me to my feet. I see the rest of delta shooting at something in the distance and Baird joins in. I take down a few more grubs before whatever it is drops and a massive explosion in the courtyard, eradicating all the remaining grubs.

Delta, colonel Whatever-his-name-is and the white-haired woman group back together and I go over there, ignoring the unclear and slightly disturbing glare Baird is following me with. A shiver goes down my spine. What did he see?

We gather up in a room filled with tech. I file in last, unsure whether im meant to be there or not. Marcus and Hoffman, I managed to learn his name finally, are talking about Adam Fenix, Marcus' father. Baird looks over at one of the devices on the wall and then asks about it. I have to stop myself flinching when he says what it is.

A hammer of dawn.

The urge to smash it up is almost too strong to ignore.

Suddenly the white-haired lady, Bernie I think, walked in and said Sam and Anya were pinned outside. The rest goes downstairs but Marcus tells me to stick inside and make sure Baird doesn't get distracted.

I was a little disappointed but then again I still feel slightly sick from watching Tohrm die earlier and if I met anyone else, which is more than likely, I wouldn't be able to do it. At least with locust I don't know I can actually kill them without feeling too guilty.

I watch as Baird tinkers with the hammer. And then he starts speaking, putting a finger to his ear to use that ear-piece thing that lets the others hear him. It's a bit weird to me but if it works them im not gonna say anything. Apparently, there's a lambent berserker out there. I curse to myself as Baird starts yelling at them to get moving and get in the courtyard.

I poke my head out the door and watch as they run full speed with a nightmarish monster on their tail. Baird sets off the hammer just as the rest of Delta rush inside and the doors close. I rush outside making my way down, and I reach them just in time to see the 'Zerker jump into the courtyard.

Delta splits into buddies again and pull back as well, grabbing some ammo. The beast sees me and rushes at me, I shoot at her until the last second where I roll out the way. It was a tactic I'd learnt when helping the keepers with rampant berserkers in the hollow. We'd lead them into dead ends where a few drones would drop a boulder on their heads to knock them out. Occasionally it killed them but that couldn't always be helped.

She rushes at Marcus next, who hits her in the chest making her scream a little louder. A weak spot.

He yells it out to the rest of the group to aim for the glowy floppy thing in her chest. We take it in turns to aggro her and then all shoot her chest as she rushes for that person, who also shoots but dodges before they can be squashed.

She suddenly screams and the next time she runs she heads for me, leaving behind a trail of imulsion. I flinch at the substance and in that moment of distraction I dodge a second to late and take a fist the size of my face to my chest.

I groan as I hit the floor several feet from where I was.

The world spins above me and I flip onto my stomach and get into a crawling position. I stay there panting and trying to re-focus my vison.

My head throbs as I try to stand and I can feel every rib in my torso screaming at me.

I hear her screech again and Cole yell something about vapour. Then there's a hand tugging me to my feet and my vison finally fixes itself revealing a worried looking Dom. I give him a weak smile before jumping back into the fray, ignoring my complaining ribcage.

Before long she starts screeching and falls to the floor flailing around. Marcus yells us to get down and that she's gonna blow. And she does. Chunks of infected flesh fly everywhere and puddle of Imulsion forms where the Zerker once was. I

Baird finally shows up and kicks on of the chunks. Marcus tells him he has a job to do after ignoring _another_ one of Baird's sarcastic comments. We all go up to the room where Baird was working on the hammer, and he starts messing around with some kind machine, pressing a few buttons here and there. After a minute an island appears mid-air. I'll admit it, the damn thing appearing in mid-air startled me. I miss the start of the conversation but im back from my secret surprise just in time to hear:

"How the hell do you find an island?" Hoffman asks.

"That's how- more of Prescott's top secret bull. What the hell's a "Maelstrom Barrier"?"

Its Baird who replies then. "Some kind of shielding device. Wow, an artificial hurricane around the island!" He turns to Marcus "Hey, Prescott was really investing in the "crazy-tyrant technology"! I almost admire that." he starts fiddling with the device again. "But, it looks like the only way in is to go under it."

Hoffman solves that problem "Well, there's an old sub laid up at the shipyard in Endeavor…"

Until Baird is a dick again "Yeah, if its seaworthy, if you can get the motors running, and if you can fuel it."

Then Dizzy, grr, solves that "Now son, that's where I come in. Im ex-merchant navy. I can fix it, drive it, and fuel it- if you can find a place to fill the tanker."

Dom adds his penny "We can detour via Mercy or Char. I know Mercy, it's an Imulsion pumping station. Let's try there first."

But then something odd happens, Sam comes up then and asks Dom "You sure you want to go there?"

"What, because its Maria's hometown? I can handle that now – and we need the fuel."

Who's Maria? Why did Myrrah never tell me about Azura? And what the heck is a sub? I look at Cole in confusion and he takes me to the side out of the room and to temporary barracks we've been given for the night. Once there he explains.

"Maria was Dom's wife, Dom and Marcus found her… in a bad way.. Neither will tell us what really happened but, well Baird reckons Dom… put her out her misery. Dom hasn't been the same since. Damn grubs kidnapped her from the mountains above Nexus" I stand in shock. Myrrah had taken captives?! I nod and go sit down on a mattress. Cole leaves me alone to think.

My thoughts whirl around uncontrollably and I simply give up and sleep.

Baird P.O.V

After a few hours of inspecting Azura I find where were sleeping tonight. Im last to bed, but I kinda expected that. I look over at Sera. I could've sworn she growled back at that grub. But that's not possible! I'm tempted to wake her, to ask why she fights so strangely, who she really is, why she was on that bridge and why can she seemingly speak to the grubs? I can see where that leads but refuse to follow it. There has to be a different reason.

No one would work with the locust.

Right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter up and ready for you guys! Hope you enjoy :D**

Sera P.O.V

Morning rose, and so do I.

I think back to last the day as I lay in my bunk, listening to the sounds of sleep around me.

I've found out locusts aren't good, that my entire life was a lie, Myrrah doesn't really care and that humans are way better to be around, in the past 24 hours. My leg throbs and I inspect it.

Not infected, healing quite nicely and sore. All's well and good there at least.

I finally sit up as I hear movement. Baird is stirring. With a sigh, I get up to take a piss and get ready.

Baird P.O.V

I watch as Sera gets up and goes. I nudge Cole awake before getting up myself and armouring up. I need to bounce my thoughts and Cole is always good for that. The bastard has managed to worm his way into heart, so he gets special privileges. I look over at Sam before I leave the room, Cole behind me, she's still asleep, and is fine. As are the others. With that knowledge, we leave the room and find an empty room where I sit on a table.

Cole speaks first "Soo, any reason we're up at this ungodly hour, Damon?"

I ignore the use of my first name "Sera. There's something very wrong with that chick- And don't say I'm just being bitter. If I got pissy forever at _everyone_ who aimed a gun at me, you would be the only person I talked to ever."

Cole figuratively, yet obviously, bit his tongue. He gestured for me to go on.

"She was on the bridge Cole. I swear that she was there. And then there's all that crap with the locust, it was like she thought the _locust_ were the good guys. And I swear on _my IQ_ she growled at that grub that pinned her. I heard her growl." Cole looks disturbed but disbelieving.

"Damon, what you're saying…" Cole has put the pieces together.

Will he accept them or push them away?

"Shit man…"

Accept.

"She's obviously on our side now, all that shit on the barge. If we're right and she wasn't already on our side." I still can't say the words.

Let me try in my head.

Okay.

 _Ahem_.

Sera... Sera is… Sera is a locust. Mentally. She's very human physically. Very. But mentally… that is the questionable part.

I shit myself as Marcus clears his throat and steps into the room. Steely eyes lock with mine and I can see he believes me too.

Sera P.O.V

I go to walk outside to the trucks.

So of course, someone called a doctor collars me and drags me off, and from Anya's face I can see she told them about my leg. I just want to go and my face reflects this. I groan at the unwanted attention as the guy tells me to sit on some table and takes off the bandaging "I've already checked it" I grumble but he just rolls his eyes and ignores me.

After my leg was dealt with, I go to leave but he grabs me again "Stand on that for me. Now then... Sera, is it?" At least my name doesn't faze him "Have you ever been examined before?"

"No?" he notes it down and then starts looking at some symbols on the thing im standing on. He moves a slider up to my head and notes those things too.

"Any pains?"

"No…"

"Is anything blurry, can you read that over there?" he points at some colourful piece of paper with writing on it on the wall.

"Yes." Okay I can't, but that's not because I can't see that's because I wasn't taught.

"Hmm, good. Any problems with your teeth? Itchy skin, other things. Basically, any little niggles that shouldn't be there?"

"Uh, no… can I go now?" No idea what a niggle is, but I don't _think_ I have one.

The 'doctor' looks at me "From your fighting I can see your reflexes are good so, yes. However, I have some recommendations, while you are mostly healthy you are malnourished, as is clear from your weight compared to your height. And you are way too pale. It's like your skin hasn't seen sunlight for years and you haven't eaten in that long too. But apart from: eat more and get some sun on your skin, you're good to go."

I step off the weird symbol thing and nod, before leaving. I'm still annoyed.

Going outside, Anya smiles at me and comes over "What did he say?" I raise an eyebrow, I didn't need some random person in a white coat to tell me to eat and get some light, and it was her fault I'd even been 'examined'.

"Couple of small things. My leg is fine, and apparently, I need to eat more and get some sun. Things I already knew." I walk off and I swear I hear her chuckle.

I jump into the gas tanker as the rest finish the preparations to set off. I can feel some of Delta's eyes on me and I look back at them. Half of them look away, Marcus and Baird being the ones who didn't, the ones who did were Cole and Dom. I look between them, keeping my face blank, and sit down with a hammerburst in my lap. Then I look away.

Marcus jumps into a truck I'm in after having a small chat with Hoffman. He barely looks at me now. What did Baird see? And did he tell?

Marcus P.O.V

Baird and Cole already knew about the situation with Sera, I let Dom know because I know he'll keep a cool head about it. And he has. But that matter can wait, so long as Sera isn't a threat she can be left till later.

With Baird, Cole and Carmine off to Halvo Bay for reinforcements, Jace, Anya, Sam and I head off toward Mercy with Sera and Dizzy in the truck. Jace starts driving closely followed by the gear Hoffman sent with us to drive, and Dizzy in the tanker brings up the back.

I sit on the turret of the truck I'm in and Dom sits on the other one. Everyone else who isn't driving has guns out and a serious air around them.

We manage a while without any interruption but we can't seem to go anywhere without a horde of locust attacking us, Reavers this time.

I aim at them and start shooting and from the sounds of gunfire around me I can tell everyone else is helping the fight as well. One lands in the road ahead of us and both me and Dom have to concentrate fire to kill the damn thing before we crash into it. More and more land and Jace drives us off the road and beneath it, straight toward all the imulsion pipelines.

Ignoring the few stray locust drones down there all fire attacks the weakened sections of pipe, smashing them apart.

Sera P.O.V

I stick my head out the window to fire, pulling back in and holding my breath when we pass through the gap in the pipes. Dizzy gives me an odd look but I couldn't really care less.

Two more pipelines later and we are finally clear of the imulsion pipes.

And then a couple of minutes later there's a road block. Which Dizzy decides would be run to smash with the tanker. I grip my seat as Dizzy cheers and then after were through goes on about a good driver's discount. What the heck is a discount?

After the roadblock, we head straight into a corpser hatchling field.

Great.

I only shoot in their direction not at them, still not able to kill the hatchlings. I did grow up around these things, I can't just do what delta does. Mother Corpser shows up and the turrets blind her before moving on, as the blinding thing made her back up enough for us to drive right by.

To be honest these trucks and stuff kind of freaked me out a little first, I was just too far up my own arse to care. Its bloody weird going this fast in a metal box.

And now we're going to go fetch a bigger metal box that can swim. Which is what a sub is from what I can gather without actually asking.

The hatchlings seem to go on forever, and I end up shooting a couple out of sheer want to get out of here.

A corpser jumps on the front of Marcus' car, but without risking blowing off someone's head I can't help out. After a few seconds, Marcus knocks it off and Jace runs it over.

I duck back in as Dizzy "opens the door" for the airfield. Whatever a good drivers discount is Dizzy _does not_ deserve it.

When Dizzy said he just glad it was empty I gave him a funny look, and he gestured quickly behind him at the tanker. I grimace as I realise what he meant, and go back to shooting.

He smashes open another block and I start considering giving up on shooting, this guy was smashing too many things for my liking.

Part of the runway blows up and the trucks get stuck, locusts popping up all around us as the drivers desperately try to dig us out. Eventually we all get free and get back onto the runway, continuing to shoot the drones and other locust.

Up in the distance a Brumak appears. I keep my head in the tanker's truck bit and shoot as best I can from inside, while Dizzy lets the others go ahead.

There's no way of getting past it but I spot two ramps, and Dizzy says we're going over it. I inwardly curse rather harshly.

We go over several pieces of razor wire, as Dizzy calls it, and one piece gets caught between Marcus' and Dom's trucks. Something is said but Dizzy doesn't tell me what it is.

I really hate relying on this strange voiced prick.

I guess pretty quickly as the trucks go over the ramps and decapitate the brumak.

I gape in shock as us in the tanker follow them, Dizzy cheering.

 _Holy shit!_

I don't look back, not wanting to see, but a strange sort of exhilaration hits me. The jump was enjoyable, very enjoyable. Especially, as the locust had been too shocked by the beheading to shoot at us.

Dizzy makes a comment about holes, the tanker and his shorts but im not listening really. A few more hours and we'll be at Mercy. And these people weren't worried. Dizzy was actually... joking? I think that's the word.

I didn't exactly have friends down in the hollow but I did have those I talked too and it was never anything like this. My decision to give up on the locust doesn't seem bad anymore.

Then a sort of trepidation hits me. Things keep going wrong, I just worry…

What next?

 ***evil laughs***


	7. Chapter 7

**I AM SO SORRY ITS BEEN A WHILE BUT SCHOOL HOLIDYAS HAPPENED AND I GOT BUSY AND THEN OUR HOUSE GOT FLOODED CAUSE SHIZ HAPPENED BUT ANYWAYS HERES ZE CHAPTER HOPE YOU LIKE IT :D**

We finally arrived in Mercy.

And instantly we could all see something was wrong.

Sam called out to ask for fuel, but no one was here. We walked through the streets, silence echoing our footsteps.

I can hear the others talking quietly but I'm on edge. This is too much like the first few community's within the hollow who fell to the lambent that I helped clear out. I reassure myself with the fact the lambency doesn't effect humans, so it must be something else. Probably killed each other, stupid huma-

Sam suddenly calls out that the pipeline is rigged.

This place is definitely sabotaged, and I keep my gun up and ready to shoot while we walk along the line, Marcus disarming the charges as we go. Dom gives me an odd look when he thinks I'm not looking and I frown at his quickly turned back.

Weird.

We all duck and take cover as someone shoots at us. Some crazy old dude shows himself as Marcus yells out-

"Hey check fire! We're Gears! Gears!"

"Get your hands off those goddam charges!" is the reply. I'm tempted to shoot the crazy guy but Sam raises an eyebrow at me, seemingly reading my mind despite the fact I only raised my gun a little bit.

That's really creepy actually…

"Did you rig the pipeline? You wanna blow this place up?" Well _noooo_

"Yeah! I gotta stop this thing from spreadin'! Just let me get on with the job." Thing? Oh great there's another disease hanging round. At least it wasn't self-destruction I suppose. Mind you humans just following their nature is… Shit I forgot I was human again. This is my nature too.

We got out of cover and Dom stepped forward "What thing? You got an epidemic?"

"How the hell should I know what it is? Its. Its, its-it's some kind of fever! People start burning up and screamin' and fightin', turnin' crazy! And I'm damned if im gonna turn up like that, like some rabid dog, not even human no more!" I follow the others in stepping toward this guy. I fight back some major nerves. A fever, that exactly what the locust thought the lambency was at first.

Marcus pulls open the door the man had been trying to close "You better come with us. We can get you some help."

"NO! It's too late! Leave me alone!" The man falls back and then runs off.

"Hey come back! We need to know where else you've laid charges!" Sam looked a little frustrated.

I however want to curl up and hide. Or shoot something. If the lambency is affecting humans now… by the gods it's worse than we could ever have imagined.

As we move forward to chase the guy Dom speaks again "Well, he was _interesting_." I wonder what Baird would have said to that.

Sam looked around a corner "Whatever fever he was talking about. I hope it's not contagious"

I bite my lip "What if it's lambency?"

They all look at me, and I feel very aware of myself for a moment but before Marcus can ask me what I mean Sam spots the guy and yells "Hey! We're CoG, we're on your side!... Where'd he go?"

We made our way over to the houses and Dom looks at me "Only locust can be lambent" he seemed to be watching me carefully, as did Marcus although the sergeant was paying more attention to where we were going.

"Can we afford to assume? Just because we haven't seen one…" I trail off as we find some bad smelling place, and see the pipeline heading down them.

Marcus decides to cut off the conversation for more important things. Hopefully more important things… "Looks like the pipeline takes us into the sewers. Let's go."

I've never heard of sewers before but I decide quickly that I _do not_ want to go down there. Then again there's no way I'm staying behind.

Shit.

Down I go…

"You think the old guy could be down here?"

"In the sewer? Definitely." Dom and Anya talk a little and I hang back a few steps. Being fully honest I feel like a pebble in the middle of rockfall of boulders, a pebble that once tried to destroy the boulders, when I walk too close. Even though in height I'm on par with them, I look sickly thin next to them.

That or I'm paranoid now because of that doctor guy.

Thanks Anya.

We find the crazy old guy dead, and I hear someone crying nearby. The others don't seem to, and Marcus splits us up. He sets Dom up to go with Sam to the right and me and Anya to stay with him on the left.

Once we're done splitting up I speak up "Can't you guys hear that?" They look at me but then there's a particularly loud cry and they hear. We head in that direction, Marcus going first.

Dom and Sam appear on a raised bit behind us, but my eyes are glued to the woman 'sobbing' on the ground.

Its spread to humans. The first lambent I saw were like this. And its spread. I-

Oh no no no no no no no no no! NO!

"Ma'am, are you okay? Who did this?" I want to scream at Marcus to stop but I'm frozen. If its spread then this is bad. So bad.

And I'm being stupid and can't even speak.

"What happened?" he reaches for her and she turns around "-what the hell!" Marcus backs off while Sam yells, finally catching on "She's Lambent! Its spread to humans!"

I finally get control of myself and shoot it in the head.

The others look at me and I calm my shock simply to say "Told you so"

Marcus and Anya share a look but then Sam calls out "She's not alone!" as a horde of the damn things come at us.

Anya calls out while we shoot at them "Marcus they're everywhere!"

He answers while smashing one in the face "Come on! We've got to find a way out of here!"

We keep shooting to finish off this horde of them, yet I have a dark feeling this won't be it.

More and more come and we just keep shooting, steadily advancing through the sewers as we went. I wince as one scratches my leg but Sam is there and shooting it before I can even turn. I don't have time to thank her like I'd seen the others do when helped before the fighting continues.

Finally, it's over and as we look to bring down the ramp Anya looks at me "How can humans turn Lambent? It only affects locust."

Marcus replies for me in his gravelly voice "Yeah? Well now its jumped the species barrier again!"

He starts talking to Dizzy and Dom finds the thing to get the ramp down. Anya keeps looking at me and I sigh "I bet the locust once thought it wouldn't affect them either"

They hadn't.

Myrrah told me in the Hollow how wretches had succumbed first. But none of the normal locust thought anything of it until it was too late. It was just a sickness in our- their pets.

Yeah wretches are pets. Before the war they were bred for wretch fights some nights in the hollow. Then they were bred for fighting humans. Either way no one considering an epidemic among them important.

How wrong they were…

The ramp is finally lowered and we head up it. Anya has nothing to say to my reply and Dom was giving me a strange look again before looking away, and what I assume is a thoughtful look crosses his face "huh, Lambent humans. No wonder the old guy wanted to frag the place."

"Is that it?" Sam sounds scared "Are we all gonna end up like them? Former humans?"

Marcus reassures her "No. We're getting out. We'll grab the fuel and head out of here"

Dom sighs "My great idea to come here…. Sorry Marcus."

"It's just as well we did. Now we know the whole human race could turn Lambent if we don't do something about it."

We head to some kind of courtyard with a circular wall in the middle. It seems empty…

Screw that! Nope!

Of course not!

I hear more coming and we head to the other side of the courtyard just in case. Sam shouts out and points out a guy appearing on a balcony who lets us know the machine gun is loaded. Marcus and Dom grab it, Marcus aiming while Dom reloads, and just in time.

A massive horde appears. I peer from behind a cover on the opposite side of the steps to Anya and Sam, shooting as much as possible. It seems surreal, even the locust thought humanity was immune. And even they would've been stunned. Will be.

I have to sit back as one flanks me and tries to rip my face apart, quickly blasting its head off. I want to watch Marcus and Dom on the machine gun but there's simply too many. I can hear the others coming to a similar conclusion under the constant noise of the machine gun.

Which suddenly stops. I look just in time to see Marcus and Dom throw it down and use their lancers.

Finally, after a few tense minutes the horde stops and the guy from before yells down:

"Quick, before they come back! Climb the ladders!"

Marcus stands watch as everyone goes up, sparing me a moments glance when I went up. Then he followed.

We're in a large and, what would've been once, fancy house.

Marcus said to the guy gruffly once we went further in and had a door locked behind us "Thanks for the assist."

The guy sounded slightly star struck as he replied "Gears.. You're the last people we expected to see."

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Sam sounds paranoid. Can't exactly blame her.

"I'm fine. But he's not looking so good" The guy gestured to some other dude who's lying on a blood soaked mattress.

I don't know this guy, I don't want nor need too. However, what he signifies…. I curse slightly as we approach and the coughing just becomes clearer and more grotesque.

"Is this how it starts?" Dom asked gently

"Yeah you seen this before? Cause this isn't just rustlung-"

The guy is cut off by a former, may as well call them that, jumping through the window and starting to rip him apart.

The others look shocked for a moment but I just shoot, unable to save the guy but killing the damn lambent. The others snap back a second later, killing the other and turning as the door caved in followed by more of the damn things.

Marcus yells out between smashing a former's face in and shooting another in the legs "Come on! We've got to get to that fuel pump!"

Oh yeah. That's why we're in this hellhole.

Huh. I forgot.

We follow him outside, charging over the walls and only shooting what ones we have too. There's way too many and it'd be a waste of ammo. I find myself being dragged along a bit by Dom because I just keep stopping to stare.

Marcus calls "Come on! To the roof!"

What roof?

Oh gods! More appear. We shoot them but as Anya points out "They just keep coming!"

I hiss as one scratches my arm but Anya shoots it. I then quickly shoot one behind her, a little shocked at myself. Sure, I don't want to kill them outright but I didn't think I'd be that bothered if they did. And now I'm protecting them.

 _Dammit Sera sort yourself out!_

Marcus calls out as he kills the final one in this area.

We walk further, tension thick in the air.

Anya looks at me "How did you know?"

"About what?"

"The lambent"

I sigh, wondering the shit I could explain without _actually_ explaining "It was the only way shit could get worse. Plus, it's a disease, isn't it? Locust are humanoid, all it'd take is something to change in the infection and, lambent humans."

She doesn't look convinced, but accepts it. Marcus and Dom share a look, clearly not believing me at all but not interrogating thankfully.

They lift the gate and we go in, Marcus announcing that were clear for now.

I snort, _yeah right_.

Sam starts muttering "I am not gonna end up like them. I bloody well am not."

I get in before Dom does "If you haven't already I wouldn't worry too much for now. Just keep in the moment and we'll deal with shit as it comes."

I walk past her and Anya starts talking to Marcus "The locust are gonna be here soon Marcus, we're running out of time to fuel up!"

Marcus nods "Alright, let's find that pump and get the fuel flowing"

"Isn't that what we've been trying to do the entire time?" I mutter quietly but go ignored.

We head further towards the fuel pump, which had been rerouted through the church according to Dom. Marcus picks up some ammo along the way but my hammerburst is still fairly loaded up so I don't worry about it.

As we enter the graveyard of the church Marcus says, "Okay that's it..." before going to Dom "Dom, we'll deal with the pump"

Wait. Where's Dom going? Last time we split up shit went bad, are Delta thick enough to split up _again_?

"Thanks, but don't wait for me if anything goes wrong"

Uh, alright. I don't fancy dying for your sake so that's fine by _me_ however from everyone else faces...

"Just make it fast"

Yep, Delta is so going back for Dom if shit goes wrong. These guys really have a death wish huh. But then here I am so I can't say anything really.

We walk ahead as Dom goes to one of the graves. As much as I car- oh wait I don't- or do I? Surely not... Argh fuck I _hate_ this. I am not a locust. I am going to have to accept that because if I keep mentally correcting myself I am going to go insane!

I walk behind Anya and Samantha and then stand watch with them as Marcus tries to pull the fuel switch thingy down, hand on my hammerburst. Call me paranoid, you'd be right, and that I know I don't care about.

Dom shows up as it sticks and hands Marcus a very large knife which the Sergeant uses to unstick the mechanisem? Mecha... the techy stuff Baird plays with. I probably know the word but there's more important things right now. Dom pulls down the other switch with Marcus and finally the fuel is flowing.

Marcus lets Dizzy know but then what sounds like all the Kanti in the Locust Horde screaming at once comes from the church and Dom pipes up "Somehow I don't think that's the choir"

Not sure what a choir is but I'll trust Dom on this one.

As we prepare to fight Marcus calls out to us "We finish this bunch and then we get the hell outta here okay?"

"No, I fancied hanging around actually." I glare over at him from behind a statue of a dude with wings but he just shakes his head, apparently giving up for the time being

Dom ignores me completely "You think the old guy laid enough explosives to blow the town?"

"No, but it will put a big hole in it" Sam glanced over while prepping a frag grenade to chuck at the church door.

Marcus nodded as he aimed from behind a pile of sandbags "Then we'll have to settle for slowin' em down."

And with that they broke through.

Shooting the nearest one in the face I copy Sam in throwing a grenade into a crowd of them. Marcus is using his shotgun relentlessly while Dom and Anya fire round after round into the horde of formers. If it wasn't for the fact I was showing no symptoms I would be worried, I lived over the imulsion lakes for years.

Finally, with only a few minor scratches that are quickly treated on Anya, were off again, and Marcus lets Dizzy know through the ear thing that we're on our way back. I just can't wait to get back to _him_... Maybe I'll let a former bite me and play dead so I don't have to listen to Dizzy's voice anymore…

"Dom, what's the fastest way back to the fuel station?"

"Just cut through the vaults under the church. It used to be an air raid shelter in the Pendulum Wars."

"Better hope we've cleared out the lambent" Sam added on

I glared at her "You had to fucking say it didn't you"

Sam gave me a shocked look, as did Anya, but Marcus and Dom we're already ahead

"Look kid, What's your problem!"

"You're basically asking for something to go wrong. It's like saying 'nothing could go wrong now'."

"you don't seriously believe- "

"I didn't until you pricks kept constantly saying it in some way or another and every time you did everything going to shit."

Sam glared and opened her mouth but Anya cut in "Haven't we got enough problems?"

We both shut up at those words and settled for following the boys, Anya going ahead a little in frustration.

Dom was pulling a face as they started heading along this wooden bridge by the time we hurried to get behind them "Ugh, Smell those imulsion fumes. Never used to be like this"

Sam walked beside him and spoke to Marcus "Hey Marcus, your father thinks its imulsion that's killing Sera, right?"

I'll admit, I got confused for a moment, but quickly sorted myself out.

"Yeah. We killed to get the stuff. And now it's killing us"

Wait…. Was that what these 'Pendulum Wars' were about. Imulsion? Seriously?! You fucking c-

"Yo Marcus, we got grubs, up the highway!" suddenly came through Anya's ear thing

Marcus half yelled to Dizzy im guessing but I've no idea how or… Damn this tech stuff is weird "Is the tanker ready to roll?"

I don't hear Dizzy's reply but Marcus swears "Ah, shit! All right, leave the damn thing – Get to the pick-up!"

Wait what?! "we're leaving it?!"

"It's leaking. Come on!"

He and the others get onto a lift and I follow just as he pulled the lever to make it go down and as soon as we get to the bottom we run out.

I run just behind delta as we head back to Dizzy and the vehicles but the locust burst through the tunnel to our left as we get there and there's too much of a gap to risk just running.

We're stuck.

 **I am so sorry this took so long. Life just went shit and I've not had time but I promise to try and update more. I might try doing smaller chapters, I dunno yet but anyway thank you for your patience and I hope to have the next chapter out before 2018. If not feel free to start yelling at me. I know I already apologised in the header but I wrote that ages ago to say the least. SEE YOU SOON**


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